Doug McLaughlin-Williams scored 12 points on four three-pointers, two of which keyed an ASU 10-0 run Game statistics RELATED AUDIO All Audio Houston Fancher Post Game Interview - MTSU Flow Hummer Game Rewind - MTSU

Mountaineers Torch The Twine in 84-79 Victory Over Middle Tennessee
by Appalachian Sports Information

November 17, 2007 - MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Appalachian State University men’s basketball shot a blistering 68.4 percent from the field and staved off a late Middle Tennessee rally to claim an 84-79 victory in the final game of the First Shot Exempt Tournament Saturday evening. Jeremy Clayton led all scorers with 15 points as one of five Mountaineers in double figures.

Kellen Brand scored 13 points, while Doug McLaughlin-Williams had 12 points on four three-pointers, including a pair during a critical 10-0 ASU run. Donte Minter and Eduardo Bermudez each had 11 points.

The Blue Raiders (1-2) were paced by Kevin Kanaskie’s 14 points. Hudson Theryn finished just shy of a double-double with nine points and eight rebounds as the squad shot 43 percent in the loss and took 29 more shots than the Mountaineers (2-2) from the floor.

ASU led by as many as nine points in the opening half, but MTSU trimmed that margin to four, 35-31, at halftime despite ASU shooting 77.8 percent in the opening half.

MTSU needed 4:47 in the second half to take a 43-41 lead and the teams traded baskets for the next 7:33 until ASU started its 10-0 run that would give it a 13-point, 71-58 lead with 6:03 left to play. McLaughlin-Williams scored six of ASU’s points on three-pointers during the spurt and Clayton added the other four with a jumper and a pair of free throws.

The Apps extended their lead to as many as 15 with 2:13 left on a set of Donald Sims free throws. However, the home squad did not go down without a fight, pulling within five, 80-75, on a three-pointer with 38 seconds left. MTSU’s comeback hopes forced it to foul in the waning seconds and Brand calmly drained four free throws in the final 30 seconds to preserve the win against head coach Houston Fancher’s alma mater.

ASU will go for its third win of the season on Wednesday afternoon when it travels off the Mountain to face Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C. at 2 p.m.